LABEL: BLOOD MONEY

NUTGRAPH: Authorities believe the two men involved in the stabbing death of Michael Osborne cleaned themselves up at a friend's home, then tried to use money wet with blood to buy crack cocaine. One of the men has been arrested.

By JoAnne Marez

Sun Staff

One man has been arrested and another is being sought for the stabbing death early Thursday morning of reputed Bremerton drug dealer Michael Osborne.

Gerald "Sonny" Belgarde of Bremerton was arrested in Portland, Ore., Friday afternoon, about 10 minutes after he allegedly called Bremerton detective Del English to discuss the murder.

Kitsap County Prosecutor Dan Clem said Belgarde told English in the telephone conversation another man stabbed Osborne to death. When English asked him to surrender, Belgarde said he'd have to think about it, but Portland police picked him up a short time later on a Bremerton drug warrant issued earlier this week.

Clem said a first-degree murder arrest warrant was issued late Friday afternoon for Belgarde. Police have identified the second suspect in the case, but have not obtained an arrest warrant for him.

Belgarde is being held in the Multnomah (Oregon) County jail on $500,000 bail.

Clem said the following information was given to Kitsap County Superior Court Judge James Roper late Friday to secure the murder warrant for Belgarde:

About 2:30 a.m. Thursday Belgarde allegedly told a friend he intended to rob Osborne in his South Summit Avenue apartment and needed someone to distract Osborne. The person refused, but the conversation was overheard by others.

About two hours later Osborne's downstairs neighbors heard noise coming from his apartment and saw two men leaving the building.

After the murder, Belgarde and the other man went to the home of a friend, where they washed themselves up. The second man had a fresh stain on his shirt and told the friend it was transmission fluid. Police now have the shirt and it is being examined for human blood stains, even though it appears someone tried to wash out the stain.

Belgarde allegedly told the friend that the second suspect had stabbed Osborne repeatedly, then threatened to kill him if he told anyone.

An autopsy revealed Osborne died of multiple stab wounds in the chest, and the medical examiner told police in his opinion, two different weapons were used.

The friend in whose home they washed up also told police there was blood on a $20 bill the second man gave her to buy some crack cocaine. The dealer, noticing it was wet with blood, refused to make the sale, the witness said. The dealer said, "I won't take their blood money."

Clem said the motive for the slaying appears to be robbery and that Osborne's wallet was literally ripped from his pocket.

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